“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust…”

Psalm 18:2 KJV

David’s description here of God is from a warrior’s perspective. In this Psalm, David expressed his absolute confidence in the Living God. David had fought many battles. He had been attacked at various times by many different enemies who were intent on his destruction. But in every battle, in spite of the size and strength of his adversaries, he was victorious over them. If you study David’s life you will learn that he never entered into battle without first seeking the Lord (1 Sam. 23:4).

When David declared that the Lord was his rock, he was picturing a warrior standing upon a massive boulder. Standing on top of that rock, he could see his enemies
preparing to come against him. From the vantage point of the rock, possessing the high ground, David knew he could face and overcome a much larger force than his own. In standing upon the rock, David knew he could defeat them. Being firmly established on the rock enabled David to stand with confidence against his enemies.

David knew that the Lord, the God of Israel, was his fortress. The Lord Himself was David’s refuge. David knew that his strength was in the Lord, not himself. David knew from experience that the Lord was unshakable, unmovable, and unchanging. He knew that the Lord was completely reliable and dependable in every circumstance. That is why David could declare with confidence that God was the “rock of his salvation” (2 Sam. 22:47).

The good news is that this same Lord is also our rock! As He was with David, so He is with us! David demonstrated for us how to depend upon the Lord. If we take our refuge in Him (Psalm 91: 1-2), we too, will be able to stand against the assaults of the enemy. As David stood with confidence, so can we. For victory is assured. When we align ourselves with the Lord, the victory is already won! We simply have to stand and see the salvation of the Lord. (Exodus 14: 13-14; Eph. 6:13).

Rev. James Black

A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.”

Psalm 37:16 KJV

It is interesting to observe that although we live in the wealthiest nation on earth, there are so many who have not discovered joy and contentment in life.   What I mean by that is simply learning to enjoy and be thankful for what we have instead of being envious, bitter, resentful, or angry about what we do not have.  It is easy to be discontent if our focus is upon ourselves and upon things.  In the pursuit and acquisition of things, we often find that once a particular “thing” is acquired, the joy and contentment it brings does not last very long.

We are often like children on Christmas morning who are excited about the gifts they have received, but within a few days, the excitement has worn off and they are bored with the new toys and now wish for something else. 

Contentment, satisfaction, and fulfillment in life is not found in possessions or achievements but ultimately in a Person. (Luke 12:13).   And that Person is Jesus!   He is the embodiment and example of contentment and the ultimate provider of contentment. (John 7:38).    When Jesus lived in His physical body on the earth, the only thing He owned were the clothes that He wore. (Matthew 8:20).   He had nothing else.  And yet His joy in life was so contagious that multitudes of people flocked to hear  Him and wanted to be around Him. (Matthew 13:2).

 His contentment was the result of His relationship with God the Father. (John 10:30).   He knew the Father intimately.   He trusted the Father completely.  He depended on the Father totally for everything. And  He wanted to please the Father in all things.  Everything He did was always with the Father’s will in mind. His focus in life was not upon Himself, but rather in doing the will of the Father.  (John 5:30).

Our contentment is found in having the same relationship with the Heavenly Father.   Jesus came to enable us to have that relationship.  It is in the intimacy of that relationship that we discover that in Him, we have everything that we need. (Psalm 23:1). 

Rev. James W. Black

“And he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put  in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:43-44 NLT).

Jesus was observing people as they gave their offerings in the temple. Many who were wealthy were giving large sums.  But this poor widow cast in two copper coins worth only a penny.  That was quite a small sum compared to all the others.  But in the eyes of the Lord, what she gave was of greater value than anyone else because she gave everything that she had. 

Have you ever felt totally inadequate?  Have you ever felt that your talents, gifts, and abilities were so small in comparison to others that what you do and what you give is irrelevant and won’t make any difference?   Most everyone experiences this at one time or another.  After all, our adversary is constantly reminding us of our inadequacy!

It is important to remember that the Lord is the One who created us!  He is the One who has given us our abilities and resources.   He does not expect us to measure ourselves against others.   He simply wants us to offer unto Him that which we have.  This widow gave more than anyone else because she gave everything that she had.  She held nothing back.

Finding joy, fulfillment, and contentment in Christ, and in life,  begins by offering unto Him everything that we have.  In return, He offers unto us everything that He has!  That is a great exchange!  We become the greatest beneficiary!  While all that we have is small in comparison to the Lord, what He gives in exchange is immense!   We literally exchange our inadequacy for His adequacy!   We exchange our weakness for His strength.   We exchange our inability for His ability.  (Phil. 4:13).  The Lord takes that which is offered, and multiplies it and uses it for His glory!   And what is done is far greater than anything we could have possibly accomplished on our own! 

Rev. James W. Black

“How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord?  Forever?  How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?”   

Psalm 13:1 KJV

David was in a desperate situation.  King Saul and his army had surrounded  David and his small band of men in the wilderness. Although they had not yet been discovered, there was a real possibility that he, and all those who were with him, were going to die! (1 Sam. 23: 24-28).  He did not know what to do.    David had cried out to the Lord, but the Lord had not answered.

Have you ever been there?  If you haven’t, you will.  Life has a way of forcing us into difficult situations.  There are times when our circumstances can be overwhelming.   And in the midst of them, we can feel as if God has abandoned us!   Our adversary will certainly be quick to tell us that He has!   What can we do in those times?

We must learn to do what David did. We must choose to trust the Lord in spite of the circumstances. We must intentionally fix our eyes upon the Lord instead of the circumstances. (2 Chron. 29:12).  In the midst of this trial David declared:  “But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.  I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” (Ps. 13: 5-6 KJV).

Even though God had not yet answered, David believed that He would!  Because the Lord had answered in the past, David believed that He would somehow answer him now!  He continued to trust!  And he determined to sing praises to the Lord for his faithfulness both in the past and even now in the present! 

So, let us continue to trust in the Lord and continue to worship Him, honor Him, and walk with Him!  He has not abandoned us!  Nor has He forsaken us!  (Deut. 31:6, Heb. 13:5).  The Lord will answer at the best possible time!   And that time will be so amazing that He alone will get all the glory! 

Rev. James W. Black 

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even a he is pure.” (1 John 3:3 KJV).

In this passage, the Apostle John explains to the followers of Christ what our hope in Christ actually does for us.  If we have truly put our hope (our confident expectation)  and trust in Christ (that is knowing who He is and who we are in Him) then we are motivated to live a life that is a reflection of Christ. In other words, we will desire to live a godly life that represents Him to an unbelieving world.

That does not mean that we are perfect.  None of us are. But it does mean that we seek to honor the Lord to the best of our ability with His help.  It means that we surrender to the Holy Spirit and allow His fruit to be manifested in us and through us. (Gal. 5: 22-25).  And whenever we fail, and there are times when we all do,  we then do everything we can to make things right with the Lord and with others.  It means that we walk in humility before the Lord and before men; not boasting in ourselves, but boasting in Christ alone.

The NLT makes this very clear.  “And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3 NLT).  If we are hoping to see Jesus soon (and we will because life is short) then we will not be engaged in things that would dishonor Him or bring a reproach to His Name!  We will live in joyful expectation of His coming! 

Knowing that we will see Him soon motivates us to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord so that we will not be ashamed to see Him when He returns or when He calls us home! That is what our hope in Christ does for the redeemed people of God. 

Rev. James W. Black

“And Jesus said unto them, ‘I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me  shall never thirst.” 
John 6:35 KJV

Bread has been an important staple of life for thousands of years. There are few foods that are more satisfying than warm fresh bread!  Most people enjoy bread of some kind. One of the things that we do in the South when we hear that a snow event is coming is to go out and buy bread so that we will have bread to eat during the storm.  Bread fills, nourishes, and satisfies us.

Jesus made this statement about bread the day after  He had fed over 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish. (John 6: 1-13). The news of that miracle quickly spread throughout the region. Many more people had now come out to see and hear Him.  Some hoping,  perhaps,  to also be given free bread.

This time, however,  instead of providing them with free physical bread that is only temporary, He offered them bread that would last forever.    Jesus offered them Himself!  Jesus wanted them to know that He had come to do more than satisfy their physical hunger. He had come to fill and satisfy the emptiness of their soul.   

What Jesus offered to them, He still offers to us!   He offers us Himself!  Jesus alone fills the emptiness of our heart.  We were created to be filled with the joy of His abundant life!  We were created to know Him and to fellowship with Him!   Unlike the natural bread, Jesus never grows stale.  His Life is always fresh and new each day! 

It was no accident that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. (Luke 2:4). The meaning of Bethlehem is “House of Bread”.  It was a declaration,  from the very beginning,   of His purpose for entering our world.   He came to offer us only what He can offer.  That is eternal life.   May each of us “taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8).

“Can two walk together except they be agreed?” 

Amos 3:3 KJV

In Amos 3:3, the Lord was lamenting the fact that Israel had abandoned the Living God and had embraced the lifeless gods of the wicked culture that surrounded them.  They had rejected the truth and embraced the lies.   They had abandoned the light and were now walking in darkness.  As a result, they were no longer able to walk in fellowship with God.   The time would come, as they continued down that path,  that Israel would be overwhelmed and swallowed up by the very darkness they had embraced.  (Prov.16:25).

The Lord invites us to walk with Him.  It is a walk of fellowship.  Fellowship is based upon our mutual love and respect for one another.  It is based upon our mutual acceptance and delight in one another.   This fellowship produces mutual joy in one another.  Fellowship is something that both parties enjoy!   

When we embrace the darkness of the culture around us, it diminishes the closeness of our fellowship with the Lord.   If we continue down that path without genuine repentance our fellowship can be broken.

That broken fellowship will then begin to be manifested in our life.  The Lord will remove His favor upon our lives. Life will begin to get harder.  His wall of protection will be removed from around us and the powers of darkness will be given access to our lives.  Whereas before we experienced the blessings of God, we now begin to experience the chastening and discipline of God.  If we continue to ignore it, the discipline will increase. (Deut. 28).   All of it is designed to bring us back to the Lord. 

But when we choose to walk-in fellowship with the Lord, His favor and blessings are poured out upon us in abundance.  It is to our benefit to walk in fellowship with the Lord.  This fellowship brings great pleasure to the Father and brings great contentment, fulfillment, and joy to us.  (Psalm 16:11).

“But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and  the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?  God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matthew 22: 31-32 KJV).

When man chose to listen to the lies of the evil one instead of the Truth of God, sin and death entered into man and impacted everyone and everything.  We are reminded of the reality of sin and evil every day in the news.  And all of us have been impacted by the death of someone we loved and cared for.  It is a reminder that everything the evil one touches produces death.

But through the finished work of Christ on the cross and the power of His mighty resurrection life was given to anyone who would receive it.  What the Lord Jesus gives to us is His very own life! The promise of Jesus is “abundant life”. (John 10:10).  The Greek word for life is “zoe” which means “a life that is filled with vitality.”  (Renner, Sparkling  Gems from the Greek page 548). It is literally the God kind of life!   This life is present in all of those who have received His gift of grace, forgiveness, and eternal life. It is the Holy Spirit who releases the reality of this life in us!  (Romans 8: 11-16).

What this tells us is that everyone who is in Christ is alive.  (Rom. 6:11). And everyone who is not in Christ is still under the sentence of death. (John 3:36).  Those who are alive in Christ are governed by the power of Christ.  But those who are not in Christ are dead and are governed by the power of darkness.  (Eph. 2:1).

Let us rejoice in the fact that Jesus is alive!   And because He lives, we also live!  Our God is the God of the living!  Let us embrace His life and enjoy it!   It is God’s gift to the redeemed, both now and for all eternity! 

“Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting  on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of  love, and of a sound mind.”

2 Tim. 1:5-6 KJV

2 Timothy is the last letter that the Apostle Paul wrote.  At that time he was in the infamous Mamertine Prison in Rome.  The Roman Caesar,  Nero,  was persecuting the Church with a vengeance.   In Paul’s final letter to  Timothy, the one whom Paul called his “son in the faith”, he was seeking to encourage him by helping him to remember! 

The word “remembrance” is translated from the Greek word “anamimensko”. It is made up of two Greek words:  “ana” (which means:  “again or to repeat”) and “mimensko” (which means: “to be reminded of something”).   When these two words are put together they mean: “to regather or to recollect memories”.  (Sparkling Gems from the Greek, Renner, page 6).   Paul knew he was facing death. He was encouraging Timothy to “remember” his calling and his gifts in the Spirit.  To not neglect them, ignore them or to be fearful of expressing his faith in  Christ, even in the face of great trial and difficulty.

While it is important for us “to forget” some things (Phil. 3:13), it is equally important that we remember some things.

For the redeemed of God, it is important to remember where Christ has brought us from and what He has called us to!  He has redeemed us from the power of sin and darkness (Rom. 6: 12-14).  He has called us unto Himself to be conformed to His image (Rom.12:2).  And He has called us to be of service to Him in His Kingdom (Eph. 2:10).  It is important to remember that the Holy One has called us to be the instruments of His Light in the darkness of this world. He has gifted each of us to do exactly that. Not all of us have the same gifts  But we all have the same calling.   To honor, glorify, and represent Christ to an unbelieving and dying world. 

Let us resolve to do just that in this new year more than ever before,  both individually and corporately as the Body of Christ.

Rev. James W. Black